Versatile non-self-supporting assembly for display purposes

ABSTRACT

An erectible non-self-supporting versatile assembly for product display and advertisement purposes includes a connector to hold together a plurality of poles and a bracket to support the assembly on a supporting body.

United States Patent Giroux 1 1 June 5, 1973 541 VERSATILE NON-SELF-SUPPORTIN 1,033,630 7 1912 Sowers ..211/182 x ASSEMBLY FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES 382,542 5/1888 M21 1/182 X 2,533,324 12/1950 .....211/182 X [75] Inventor: Gerald L. Giroux, Toronto, Ontario, 2,897,911 8/1959 .....211/182 X Canada 2,919,816 1/1960 Maslow ..211/182 X 3,386,590, 6/1968 Gretz ..211/182 X 1 Asslgneef Kmflco Corporation, Chicago, 3,391,795 7/1968 Finlayson ..211/182 x [22] Filed: May 26, 1971 Primary Examiner--N1le C. Byers, Jr. PP N05 147,036 Att0rneyFitch, Even, Tabin & Luedeka 52 us. or. ..211/182, 287/189.36 c [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..A47f 5/14 An erectible non-self-supporting versatile assembly for [58] Field of Search ..21 Ill 82, 177; product display and advertisement purposes includes a 287/189.36 C, 189.36 H connector to hold together a plurality of poles and a bracket to support the assembly on a supporting body. [56] References Cited 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,015,448 1/1912 Madden ..211/182 PATENTEUJUH 5 I973 3. 7137, 048

- SHEET 2 0r 2 INVENTOIZ 6279440 1. 6790M W, Jaw, 1w

ATTYiz VERSATILE NON-SELF-SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES The present invention relates to structures or supports for sales and advertising displays, and more particularly concerns the use of pipes or bars, connectors, and holding elements to form the display structures.

Product display and advertising arrangements of the type used where goods are merchandised, such as wholesale and retail stores, are familiar to a buyer. Often the structure for supporting an arrangement is supplied with the product to be displayed or advertised in the form of a self-contained package of the product and the supporting display structure. Instructions for assembling and displaying are normally included with the package. A person erecting a display arrangement provided by the product manufacturer or supplier does so by following a step-by-step procedure according to the instructions, particularly when the display is a new one and the person is erecting it for the first time. Where a supporting display structure is supplied with a product by the manufacturer or supplier, however, it is believed that little, if any, discretion is left to a store manager to use his creative ability in erecting a structure for displaying or advertising the product in a manner particularly suited to his local market and at a convenient location within his store. It is possible that more complex structures for display arrangements may be assembled by a representative of the product manufacturer or supplier on the display site to tailor the arrangement to the local market and to save time of the store manager. Although an experienced product representative probably could erect a product display in much less time and more easily understand any alternate arrangements of the structure than another following directions for erecting it, a program of sending representatives to erect product displays is believed expensive and impractical.

Consequently, it is believed that a display structure comprising components easily and quickly assembled into display arrangements or configurations flexible as to size, shape, type of product handled, and placement is desirable. Such components could be kept on hand and used as required. Such a structure could be just as easily and quickly disassembled, which would permit a store manager or another to add interest, attractiveness and variety to a product display or advertisement by occasionally altering or completely re-establishing the form of it. Further, knowing the potential buyers in his market, the store manager could experiment with a display or advertisement in search of the best arrangement for appealing to these buyers. If the components of the display structure are of simple manufacture, the investment in such components could be minimal, particularly in view of the flexibility achieveable.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide structural coupling members or connectors and holding members of simple, low-cost manufacture that, along with readily available poles, tubes or rods, can be assembled easily and quickly into configurations for displaying or advertising products, the configurations being as versatile as the creative ability of the arranger.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector having means for causing the framework members to be easily and quickly engaged with one or more of such connectors to form a structural assembly for product displays, which can be readily dismembered for storage and subsequent re-use.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide connectors and holding members or support brackets that permit erection of a product display structure of planar configuration attachable for support to an available store fixture, or other supporting body.

These and other objects of the invention are more particularly set forth in the following detailed description and in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected display structure in an arbitrary configuration supported, on a store fixture at the end of a store aisle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support bracket att aching the display structure to a frame member of a store fixture;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of three basic steps of using a display structure connector in erecting the display structure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display structure connector only;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the display structure connector;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the display structure sup port bracket only; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the display structure support bracket.

In general, a versatile non-self-supporting assembly for display or advertising purposes is erected by connectors joining poles to form an arbitrary structural configuration. In an assembled arrangement, the structure is dependent on a supporting body, such as a store fixture, and is attached thereto by means of a holding member, such as a support bracket. The structure may also extend to a surface, such as a shelf or floor, when additional support is desirable. There is no prescribed form that the assembled structure must take; nor is there ostensibly an end to the possible combinations for display configurations that can be arranged when the assembling is coupled with imagination.

For an illustration of an arbitrary configuration of an erected display structure in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, refer to FIG. 1 where there is shown an erected display structural assembly 23 supported on an end panel 25 of a store fixture 19. A support bracket 15 holds the display structure in position by being attached to end panel frame member 17. The connectors 13 join poles l 1 both horizontally and vertically to form the display structure 23. Many possible combinations of poles and connectors for forming configurations of a display structure are envisioned. Only two of the possible uses for the connectors are illustrated in the display structure 23 of FIG. 1. A connector 13 is integrally associated with support bracket 15, thereby tying in the display structure to the support bracket. Another connector 13 is used to hold the cross members and the vertical member of the T at the top center of the display structure 23. The display pennants 27 and the display banners 29, having illustrations and printed matter thereon, advertise a product 30. A three-dimensional container 28 (shown in phanton) suitably attached on a vertical pole 11 holds a supply of the product 30 advertised. Normally, either the banner 29, or the like, or the product 30 would cover the support bracket 15 and the connector 13, leaving only portions of the poles ll exposed. In the attached position, parts of the support bracket are astride a common top rail 31 of the store fixture 19, which in the illustration represents a back-to-back, shelf type store fixture. The display structure 23 is only one example and illustrates only one of the many possible arrangements that may be formed in accordance with the invention. For a further example, a similar display could be attached to the end panel 25a of the store fixture 19a across the store aisle 21, and a more elaborate arrangement of components could both display and advertise a product by bridging aisle 21 with display pennants, banners, and product. The components, type of product, and imagination are blended to form a suitable structure for the occasion. Any product type,

such as food, hardware, or software, may be appropriately displayed and advertised on structural assemblies formed in accordance with the present invention.

As seen in the foregoing, the purpose of the support bracket 15 is for detachably holding the display structure 23 to the end panel frame member 17 of the store fixture 19, or the like. This is best illustrated in FIG. 2, where there is a fragmentary view of the common top rail 31 and the end panel frame member 17 of the store fixture 19. A connector 13 fits in a sleeve 39 of the support bracket 15. A slot 49v in the sleeve 39 at the longitudinal center thereof permits pole 11 to fit through a transverse passage 37 of the connector 13, retained in the sleeve 39. Another pole 11 is inserted in a longitudinal passage 35 at either end of the connector 13. The body 41 of the support bracket 15 lies across the end panel frame member 17, and screw means, such as thumb screws 47, are tightened against the frame member 17 to cause a front lip 45 of the support bracket 15 to fit snuggly against the frame member 17. Rear lips 43 are astride the top rail 31 when the support bracket 15 is in its attached or mounted position. The use of the bracket 15 for attaching a complete structural assembly to the store fixture 19 is illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates three basic steps of using the connector 13 for erecting a non-self-supporting assembly for display purposes. FIG. 3a illustrates the connector 13 joining two poles 11 in a vertical orientation while another pole 11 is inserted in and retained by the transverse passage 37 in a horizontal orientation. FIG. 3b illustrates the connector 13 joining two poles 11 in a horizontal orientation with another pole 11 inserted in and retained by the transverse passage 37 in a vertical orientation. FIG. 3c illustrates two poles 11 joined by the connector 13 with another pole 11 inserted in the transverse passage 37 with the end of the pole ll terminating flushwith the outer surface with the connector 13 to form a "T" configuration. By using these basic steps, any number of combinations of the poles 11 and the connectors 13 can be utilized to form display structure configurations for displaying and/or advertising a product. The poles 11 are shown as having a candy stripe following a helical trace around the outer surfaces. They, of course, may be of any design. In the preferred embodiment, the poles for this assembly are one and five-eighths inches on their outer diameter. The material of which the poles are constituted can be pressed cardboard, such as used in mailing tubes; plastic or other synthetic material; wood; or metal. Unless the structure is called upon to support a heavy product, there is no particular need to utilize materials having special qualities in respect to strength. The poles can be of tubular construction or can be solid, as the available material permits. The strength inherent in either construction is normally sufficient for supporting the display. The poles need not be a fixed dimension in length. Preferably, poles of differing lengths will be included in the supply of components used to erect the non-selfsupporting assembly for display purposes. Such adds to the versatility of the components.

More particularly, FIG. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the connector 13. In the preferred embodiment, this connector is tubular in form, having a passage 35 extending longitudinally therethrough as well as a further passage 37 extending transversely therethrough at the center thereof. The inner diameter of the connector is approximately 1% inches. The outer diameter of the connector is approximately 1% inches. The connector wall 33 is one-half the difference of the two diameters, or one-eighth of an inch thick. The transverse passage 37 through the connector 13 is centered both longitudinally and transversely, as can be seen in FIG. 5. The diameter of the transverse passage 37 is approximately 1% inches, approximating the inner diameter of the connector 13. These diameters are intended to form a friction fit of the poles 1 1 inter-joined or otherwise supported by the connectors 13. Different diameter poles 11 may be used from that previously described, in which instance the diameter of the connectors 13 must correspondingly differ. The material used for the connector 13 is plastic, in the form used for plastic water pipe. Other suitable materials could be used for this part as long as the resulting connector has sufficient rigidity to withstand collapse when used for connecting and supporting poles in the display structure assembly. The suggested length of the connector 13 is nine inches, although this length may be different and still be within the intended scope of the invention.

The support bracket 15 is shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7. This bracket comprises a body 41 along one edge of which is front mounting lip 45 extending longitudinally of the body 41 and along the other edge of which are rear mounting lips 43. As illustrated in the bottom view of the support bracket 15 in FIG. 6, thumb screw 47 is threaded through each of the rear mounting lips 43. To the front of the support bracket 15, as a continuation of the front mounting lip 45, is a sleeve 39. In the sleeve 39, at the center longitudinally thereof is a U-shaped slot 49.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the support bracket is made of formed sheet metal. Since the operations in making the bracket includes shearing, drilling and tapping, right-angle breaking, and rolling, metal is a preferred material. It is conceivable, however, that the bracket 15 could be of molded plastic. Such may be quite expensive to produce, however. Since it is desirable, for purposes of the invention, to utilize inexpensive components, molded plastic may not be practical. It is suggested that the length of the support bracket 15 be the same as the connector 13. The width of the body 41 of the support bracket 15 in the preferred embodiment is 4% inches. The rear mounting lips 43 extend 1% inches on a perpendicular from the body 41, and each extend 2 7/16 inches toward one another for either bracket end along one edge of the body 41. This leaves 4% inches between the rear mounting lips 43 for straddling top members of store fixtures, or the like. The front mounting lip 45 extends on a perpendicular one inch from the body 41 and thereafter continues annularly on the outside of the bracket to form the sleeve 39, which is 1 /3 inches on its inside diameter. If different diameter poles and connectors are used, this inside diameter must correspondingly differ. The purpose of the sleeve 39 is to contain the connector 13. Therefore, it is not important whether the sleeve completely surrounds the holder or stops short of completely surrounding it so long as a suitable retaining force on the connector is obtained by the sleeve. As seen in FIG. 6, edge 51, the exposed termination of the sleeve 39, approximates an intersection of the plane of body 41. Hence, the sleeve 39 contacts the connector 13 along approximately 225 of the outer surface of the connector, which is adequate to securely retain the connector 13 within the sleeve 39. Because of this amount of surface contact between the sleeve 39 and the connector 13, it is necessary to insert the connector 13 into the sleeve by sliding it in longitudinally from either end of the sleeve 39 rather than springing it in at the open portion of the diameter. As viewed in FIG. 6, the opening of U-shaped slot 49 is one and fiveeighths inches wide. The slot 49 extends into the sleeve 39 sufficiently to permit a pole 11 in the transverse passage 37 of the connector 13 to be in all aspects perpendicular to the plane of the body 41. Thumb screws 47 are one-eighth inch screws, three inches long of any available standard thread. Note that the body 41 is sufficiently wide to enable support bracket 15 to clamp across the wide dimension of common 2 inch by 4 inch lumber, as well as frame members having lesser dimen- 1. An erectible non-self-supporting assembly, dependent on a supporting body, for product display and advertising purposes, comprising in combination: a plurality of poles; a substantially rigid connector to join at least two of said poles at the time, said connector being tubular in cross section and having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough and a further passage extending transversely therethrough at the center thereof, each of said passages dimensioned to hold said poles therein with a friction fit; and a support bracket to attach said connector to said supporting body, said support bracket including a planar body, a plurality of mounting lips along the longitudinal sidesof said planar body, depending in one direction from said planar body, said mounting lips having means for mounting said support bracket on a portion of said supporting body, an annular sleeve having its circumference continuing from one of said mounting lips outwardly thereof, said annular sleeve lying longitudinally of said planar body along one of said longitudinal sides thereof and dimensioned to contain therein said connector,

and a slot in said sleeve opening outwardly transversely of said sleeve and dimensioned to permit insertion of one of said poles transversely through said connector when said connector is contained in said sleeve and the transverse passage of said connector is aligned with sions. Where constant sized frame members for supporting erected assemblies are anticipated, the bracket 15 could be modified by omitting the thumb screws 47 and dimensioning the body 41 so that the front and rear mounting lips will slip over the supporting member in a press-fit manner. Such a modification would somewhat simplify the erection of the display structure, but could limit the effective flexibility of the display assembly by being dimensioned for only one size of supporting frame member.

It can be seen that a completed assembly for display and/or advertising purposes can easily and quickly be dismembered for rearrangement or for storage. These components do not require large amounts of storage space and therefore can be conveniently kept on hand, available for immediate use. There is no need to depend upon a manufacture or supplier of the product to provide a structure for display and advertising purposes, and the versatile arrangements available from these components permit the erection of a display most suited for local conditions and market.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a versatile non-selfsupporting assembly for display and/or advertising purposes that fully satisfies the objects, aims, and advantages set forth above. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations in addition to those described will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

said slot.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal passage and the transverse passage of said connector have inside diameters equal to each other, and wherein said poles have outside diameters equal to each other and lengths differing from each other.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said connectors to form a plurality of said predetermined structural configurations, thereby permitting an arbitrary structural arrangement for product display and advertising purposes by interconnecting said plurality of predetermined structural configurations.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of mounting lips depend perpendicularly from said planar body and comprise, in addition to said mounting lip of which said sleeve circumference is a continuation, two mounting lips lying in a common plane and extending along the other of said longitudinal sides of said planar body, each of said two mounting lips having therethrough, perpendicular to the plane thereof, screw means tightenable inwardly to engage a first supporting body frame member when said support bracket is placed thereon for attachment thereto, and

each of said two mounting lips being spaced apart to straddle a possible second supporting body frame memberlying perpendicular to said first frame member and to the plane of said two mounting lips.

5. For use with an erectible non-self-supporting assembly, dependent on a supporting body, for display and advertising purposes, said assembly having a plurality of poles and at least one substantially rigid connector to join said poles in a common plane, said connector being tubular in cross section and having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough and a further passage extending transversely therethrough at the center thereof, a support bracket to attach said connector to said supporting body, said support bracket comprising a planar body; a plurality of mounting lips, along the longitudinal sides of said planar body, depending in one direction from said planar body, said mounting lips having means for mounting said support bracket on a portion of said supporting body; an annular sleeve having its circumference continuing from one of said mounting lips outwardly thereof, said annular sleeve lying longitudinally of said planar b'ody along one of said longitudinal sides thereof and dimensioned to contain therein said connector; and a slot in said sleeve opening outwardly transversely of said sleeve and dimensionedgto permit insertion of one of said poles transversely through said connector when said connector is contained in said sleeve and when the transverse passage of said connector is aligned with said slot.

6. The support bracket as recited in claim 5, wherein said plurality of mounting lips depend perpendicularly from said planar body and comprise, in addition to said mounting lip of which said sleeve circumference is a continuation, two mounting lips lying in a common plane and extending along the other of said longitudinal sides of said planar body, each of said two mounting lips having therethrough, perpendicular to the plane thereof, screw means tightenable inwardly to engage a first supporting body frame member when said support bracket is placed thereon for attachment thereto, and each of said two mounting lips being spaced apart to straddle a possible second supporting body frame member lying perpendicular to said first frame member and to the plane of said two mounting lips. 

1. An erectible non-self-supporting assembly, dependent on a supporting body, for product display and advertising purposes, comprising in combination: a plurality of poles; a substantially rigid connector to join at least two of said poles at the time, said connector being tubular in cross section and having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough and a further passage extending transversely therethrough at the center thereof, each of said passages dimensioned to hold said poles therein with a friction fit; and a support bracket to attach said connector to said supporting body, said support bracket including a planar body, a plurality of mounting lips along the longitudinal sides of said planar body, depending in one direction from said planar body, said mounting lips having means for mounting said support bracket on a portion of said supporting body, an annular sleeve having its circumference continuing from one of said mounting lips outwardly thereof, said annular sleeve lying longitudinally of said planar body along one of said longitudinal sides thereof and dimensioned to contain therein said connector, and a slot in said sleeve opening outwardly transversely of said sleeve and dimensioned to permit insertion of one of said poles transversely through said connector when said connector is contained in said sleeve and the transverse passage of said connector is aligned with said slot.
 2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal passage and the transverse passage of said connector have inside diameters equal to each other, and wherein said poles have outside diameters equal to each other and lengths differing from each other.
 3. The assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said connectors to form a plurality of said predetermined structural configurations, thereby permitting an arbitrary structural arrangement for product display and advertising purposes by interconnecting said plurality of predetermined structural configurations.
 4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of mounting lips depend perpendicularly from said planar body and comprise, in addition to said mounting lip of which said sleeve circumference is a continuation, two mounting lips lying in a common plane and extending along the other of said longitudinal sides of said planar body, each of said two mounting lips having therethrough, perpendicular to the plane thereof, screw means tightenable inwardly to engage a first supporting body frame member when said support bracket is placed thereon for attachment thereto, and each of said two mounting lips being spaced apart to straddle a possible second supporting body frame member lying perpendicular to said first frame member and to the plane of said two mounting lips.
 5. For use with an erectible non-self-supporting assembly, dependent on a supporting body, for display and advertising purposes, said assembly having a plurality of poles and at least one substantially rigid connector to join said poles in a common plane, said connector being tubular in cross section and having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough and a further passage extending transversely therethrough at the center thereof, a support bracket to attach said connector to said supporting body, said support bracket comprising a planar body; a plurality of mounting lips, along the longitudinal sides of said planar body, depending in one direction from said planar body, said mounting lips having means for mounting said support bracket on a portion of said supporting body; an annular sleeve having its circumference continuing from one of said mounting lips outwardly thereof, said annular sleeve lying longitudinally of said planar body along one of said longitudinal sides thereof and dimensioned to contain therein said connector; and a slot in said sleeve opening outwardly transversely of said sleeve and dimensioned to permit insertion of one of said poles transversely through said connector when said connector is contained in said sleeve and when the transverse passage of said connector is aligned with said slot.
 6. The support bracket as recited in claim 5, wherein said plurality of mounting lips depend perpendicularly from said planar body and comprise, in addition to said mounting lip of which said sleeve circumference is a continuation, two mounting lips lying in a common plane and extending along the other of said longitudinal sides of said planar body, each of said two mounting lips having therethrough, perpendicular to the plane thereof, screw means tightenable inwardly to engage a first supporting body frame member when said support bracket is placed thereon for attachment thereto, and each of said two mounting lips being spaced apart to straddle a possible second supporting body frame member lying perpendicular to said first frame member and to the plane of said two mounting lips. 